The Lost Hero Movie Proposal
by I'mGoingSolo14
Summary: Not entirely fiction, just an idea: How does the PJO/HoO Fandom make a movie of The Lost Hero that the fans want to see? They all join together and crowdfund it. This 'story' explains how it would work. We're using as a sounding board - Let us know what you think!


**A/N: A friend and I came up with the idea of crowdfunding a movie of The Lost Hero, which I've attached as my first 'story'. Like the summary says, we're using this as our testing ground before we actually try to go live with it.**

**This idea came by asking "Wouldn't the Heroes of Olympus be cool as a movie?" and figuring out how we actually could make that happen. Long story short…well, just read for yourself. It's pretty cool, if I say so myself. And remember, the more support we get here, the easier it will be for us (emotionally, I guess) to actually start this project on Kickstarter. So review and let us know whether to do it or not!**

**Either way, we just want to see what other fans think about a fan-directed, Hollywood-level Heroes of Olympus film. So there you go – could this work?**

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**_The 1 Minute Version:_**

Hey, how's it going? We're a group of teenagers from Colorado Springs, Colorado, who absolutely adore the best-selling Heroes of Olympus series from Rick Riordan. So far, the kind of work we've done is your average YouTube video – but we think it's time to step it up a couple (hundred) of notches. We feel that, with some help from our fellow fans (you), we can shoot and produce a fan-made film of The Lost Hero that will actually reach the silver screen. It's a tough idea to believe, but we can do it – but only with your help.

We need to raise at least $2,500,000 ($2.5 Million) to cover the cost of sets, actors, props, professional cinematographers, and special effects or it'll be another five years (at least) until the movie is made – if it's made at all. Here's the thing, though: unless we raise the full goal of two-and-a-half million dollars, we won't get any funding at all. It's an all or nothing platform, so we either win or lose; no in-between. So we're turning to our strongest supporters and fellow fans to ask for contributions.

Now, we know you're just dying to help finance this film out of the goodness of your hearts, but our team has plenty of rewards to give to our in The Mark of Athena when Hazel and Leo met the goddess Nemesis and created "Team Leo" to get away from some crazy nymphs? Well, help us out, and you can join Team Leo (our band of demigod supporters) too.

Team Leo Members can get a ton of cool incentives, anything from Team Leo t-shirts, to copies of the script and storyboard, video messages from the cast and even acting positions in the movie. Depending on where you live, you might even be able to help with the filming as a location assistant or attend one of the official premieres!

Finally, thank you. Whether you support financially or by spreading the word, your contribution will help us film the most realistic version of The Lost Hero possible, and even better, it will help ignite the Heroes of Olympus film series. Thanks for your help!

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_**The Important Questions:**_

**"You really want to make this movie – a full-length, live-action, feature film?! Are you crazy?!"**

Absolutely. (Yes, we really want to make it, and yes, we are crazy – in a good way)

**"You said yourself that you don't really have any experience – anybody can get onto YouTube. Why should you be the ones to film the story?"**

To put it simply – because we're the only ones to do it. Hollywood just started the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series (relatively speaking), and it's taken them five years to complete 2/5 of the series. Based on that speed, it'll be 2020 by the time they decide to start the Heroes of Olympus. IF they decide to start the Heroes of Olympus.

We don't want to wait for 6+ years for these movies. If we film them, we can get The Lost Hero into theatres in 2016 – four to five years earlier than Hollywood expects. This also gives us the added benefit of making sure the films stick to the storyline like glue – if we have to split them up into two separate films (like Harry Potter 7) then we will.

But why us specifically? Because we volunteered. Literally. As far as we know, we're the only group of people who want to try and get this off the ground – and are making a legit effort to do so.

Besides, we know that we're clueless about actual film-making – so we'll work with people who actually know how to do it. It's one of those "know-your-weakness-so-you-can-work-around-it" type scenarios.

We plan to hire professional camera, lighting, sound, effects, design, and make-up personnel to film the movie with us, and we'll try to hire a professional editor and composer in post-production, too. Actually, the professionals and the locations/set make up most of the cost of the $2.5M+ budget.

**"Why $2.5 Million? Why not $1M or $10M or just $500 K?**

It really comes down to reality and special effects:

_Reality:_ As far as we could tell, the most-funded Kickstarter campaign collected just over $10M. $2.5M is a goal we were fairly sure we can reach, but one that also gives us plenty of room to grow once we get there.

Also, it's illegal to film a movie based off a book without compensating the writer. Simply put, we'd have to buy the filming rights to The Lost Hero from Rick Riordan before we could start production. We think (without talking to him/his agent at all) that the cost should be around $500,000. Paying Mr. Riordan that amount leaves us with about $2M to shoot the movie. We'd love to give him more, though – He definitely deserves it!

_Special Effects:_ When you think about all of the special effects that'll have to be in the movie, you realize that the funding goal should actually be a lot higher. Here's the list of scenes that need green-screened in the first ¼ of the film alone:

The bus ride (No, we can't just film while we drive, that poses a safety risk)

The fight scene at the grand canyon

The chariot ride to camp

Bunker Nine

Any scenes with Festus

Boreas' palace

Now, we could design every single background for these scenes, but that would take way more talent, equipment, and time than we have – much better to contract them out. As soon as we reach our $2.5M goal, we'll start asking special effect studios for estimates.

Then, there's the issue of props. Not only do we need weaponry and armor for 50+ people at Camp Half Blood, we also need a school bus, a Bell 412HP utility helicopter, parts of Festus for Leo to play with, and destroyable construction equipment (bulldozer, electric harvester, and hydraulic ax) for the final fight scenes. That's going to be complicated (read: expensive).

**"Plenty of Independent Films are made each year and aren't put into theatres. How are you going to get distributed?"**

Well, Kickstarter is actually a good place to start. The more supporters we get, the higher the number of people who want to see the film. This gives us some credibility when we start contacting Distributors toward the end of filming.

We are NOT going to go the Film Festival route, though. There isn't anything wrong with festivals, but entering one (or a couple) just doesn't fit the timeline for us. Our goal is to get the story into theatres as soon as possible. Once we start filming, the clock begins ticking to start on the rest of the series – If we take too long, the actors will grow too old to play the parts. This is why we're going to try and get immediately distributed.

Obviously, we'd want some of the bigger distributors (eg: Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox, etc) to pick us up, but the odds aren't entirely in our favor. We're looking into some smaller distribution companies, though, putting together our backup plan. And if those fall through, then we'll just call every theatre we can and ask them to show The Lost Hero.

The point is: we're not going to give up on this story. If we make our goal, it's definitely going to get to theatres – no matter what.

**Stretch Goals: After $2.5 Million**

Obviously, we want to reach our $2.5M goal – but every bit afterward adds more to the film. The more funding we raise, the more details or characters we can add to the movie.

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_**Risks and Challenges**_

Any film project has the potential to go really wrong – and The Lost Hero will be no different. What if something fails on set? What if we don't get a distribution deal? What if our gear gets destroyed (by a monster, perhaps)? What if the world ends?

Don't worry – we're planning around those risks: We'll have back-up plans, back-up – back-up plans, and then back-up plans to those plans. We'll call every theatre in the country and ask them to show the film. We'll get production and equipment insurance. But if the world ends, the movie won't be made. Sorry. No amount of planning can stop an Apocalypse.

Overall, we only have two main challenges: Planning/Schedule Coordination and Distribution. We'll work tirelessly on both of them. Obviously, the Distribution only comes into play once the film is made, which requires good planning. We'll have a lot to get done by a lot of people in a short time, but we'll do it. Our Producer/Director has already said he doesn't plan to sleep much…

We'll work with a professional fulfillment company to make sure everyone gets their perks on time. Most of the rewards should be delivered around early June, a few days before shooting. We'll plan specific "perk days" into the shooting schedules for the actors to sign the rewards. We'll make it a party – it'll be great!

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**_Final Notes:_**

For anyone visiting the set or acting in the film, we plan to shoot a lot in Colorado, possibly California, somewhere near Nevada, and some other minor locations (TBD). These locations will change dependent on how much funding we're able to raise. Obviously, once we set up the specifics, we'll let you know ahead of time so you can plan ahead.

You also have to be over 18 or have an adult with you (for legal reasons). We may need some more paperwork for some rewards – like if you're in the film, we'll probably need a release/hold harmless form, that kind of thing.

Everything we've written and planned above is without talking to Rick Riordan, his agent(s), Disney Hyperion publishing, their lawyers, or anyone else related to The Lost Hero. Everything you see is meant as a plan after we purchase the rights with the funds raised. If, for whatever reason, we aren't able to get the filming rights or (gods forbid) we violate any laws in the process, the film will not be made and we will return all funds and/or perks. If anything we do, say, or offer goes against Kickstarter rules/regulations, filming guild rules, or other laws, we will change it to comply. If we have to change a perk, we will substitute another perk 'of equal or greater value' as replacement.

In short, making a film is a lot like starting a quest – you know where you have to end up, but you're not entirely sure about the route. You know you're not qualified, but you step up and do it anyway.

We'll take it one step at a time and keep working until the final goal is reached. We can't and won't let anything stop us until that happens – You have our word on that.

But if you have a spare metal dragon lying around, let us know, okay?

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**_FAQ_**

**"When will the movie be made?"**

The minute we reach our $2.5M goal, we'll begin the Pre-Production segment – script, storyboard, location scouting, crew hiring, set design, casting, etc. That'll last until about April 2015.

Around mid-April, we'll actually start shooting – the whole 'lights, camera, action' sequence. This marks the actual Production itself, and will last until late June/August. The summertime shooting will probably be the on-location scenes – the café in California or the Grand Canyon Museum, for example.

After this will be the soundstage/green-screen shots, where there isn't actually a location to shoot – think Boreas' and Aeolus' palaces – that we'll need some time to build. Meanwhile, editing, special effects, and distribution details will be worked out. Hopefully after this, we'll just be doing "make-up" scenes to finalize the story.

Finally, around October/November 2015, we should finish the primary shooting and move into post-production. Dependent on the post-production team (editing, grading, FX, and music/sound), the final cut of the film should be released into theatres around spring 2016, dependent on the distributor.

**"When will the perks be ready?"**

Overall, the majority of perks should be ready around mid-late Sept 2015. Some will be earlier (like the script or T-Shirts) or later (like the video messages), but plan around October. Of course, the insider access reports will be happening every two weeks (or more!)

**"I absolutely ADORE this series – Can I help?"**

You bet! Besides contributing to our campaign, we REALLY need any promotion we can get. Tell your friends, mention it online, put a poster on your dog – whatever! But get the word out. The more people begging for this movie, the easier it will be to get it distributed to theatres, whether we raise our goal or not (see below).

**"I meant, 'Can I help with the actual filming?'…"**

Oh. Well, if you live near Colorado Springs (Or decide to move to Colorado just to help) and want to help on set, let us know when you contribute to the campaign.

When we shoot in other locations (eg: California, Nevada, maybe NY/Canada), we'll DEFINITELY need some local-ish help to set up the behind the scenes – location, props, shelters, food, vehicles, reservations – all things that we'd love your help with. We'll send our "location assistant" requests through the update emails…Of course, Locations all depend on the money raised - the more we get, the more we can do!

**"If you portray the story wrong in the movie, I will totally kill you!"**

Woah, Woah, WOAH! Easy there, tiger. Trust us, we care about the story just as much as you – that's why we want to film it, not wait until someone else does. (By the way, that isn't a question… )

If we leave something out, it will be only because of budget (or lack thereof) issues. We'd rather cut the story short and do it well than portray all of it really badly.

**"How are you going to keep the story close to the film? Some of the best parts come from inside the characters' heads!"**

Gotcha. You're talking about lines like Leo feeling like "commander tool belt" or "defeating the armies of darkness with breath mints," right?

**"Yes."**

Well, we're throwing out ideas on how to include "inside their head" parts. Right now, it seems easiest for the character on screen to make a face, and you hear their disconnected voice in the background. They could just talk under their breath (but that seems a bit corny). We might be able to rework those lines into the conversations. Or, with some more effort (and cost), we could film the same scene twice, with say, two Leos. One Leo is the real one; the other represents his thoughts (and the "imaginary" Leo would say the lines). That would be the coolest way, but it depends on the amount raised.

In other words, we've got a lot of ideas, but we'll find out after the funds are raised and the script is written. The fact that Rick Riordan wrote the book a lot like a movie definitely helps, though.

**"Can I be [fill in character name here]? PLEASE PLEASE PLEEEEEEASE?"**

Well, some minor characters will be filled in by our contributors (see perks [coming soon] for more details!), but as for being a main character – probably not. With as specific as Rick Riordan was in his details, we have to be very picky about who we cast. Sorry…

**"Will Leo (or Jason, Piper, or Annabeth) marry me?"**

Sadly, no. They're fictional. And before you ask, the actors playing them probably won't be getting married anytime soon. They are teenagers, you know…. Besides, they'll be plenty busy shooting for the film. Much better to date someone else in the meantime…

**"Where is the money going?"**

All of the funds raised (if and only if we reach our goal) will be put into a production account created specifically for The Lost Hero.

**"What happens if you don't reach your goal?"**

Nothing – at least, not initially. We don't get any funding, the film isn't made, and the perks aren't distributed. It's the depressing end of the road for us.

On our end, we'll just leave the idea at what it is – an idea. If we don't reach our goal, hopefully we'll create enough hype that Hollywood will take the idea and run with it. Of course, there's no guarantee that Hollywood producers will try to make the Heroes of Olympus Series if we fail, but we'd rather not think about that unless we have to.

**"When will the movie be released?"**

Because we don't have a distributor yet, we don't have a specific release date. Ultimately, the distributor decides the specifics on the release. However, we know it will be sometime in very late 2015 to possibly early 2016.

We'll try to release the film theatrically in as many cities and theaters as possible – especially in the cities where our Kickstarter support is coming from. And all Kickstarter backers above $100 will get their exclusive digital showing in late-summer 2015.

**"Why aren't you listing a digital copy of the final movie as one of your perks?"**

Because that's technically distributing the movie, which could hurt our chances with a professional distribution deal. The Kickstarter edition, however, is technically an "Insider Access" perk, so we shouldn't have to worry about it.

**"My question isn't listed here…"**

That's fine; just post it in a PM or a review, and we'll answer it as soon as we can.

**"You've just reached the $2.5M Goal. What are you going to do now?"**

We're going to Disneyland! (Not a chance.)

Actually, we are going to release a third, Kickstarter-Exclusive T-Shirt Design (very cool, we know), and we're going to send out the first scene of the script (The Grand Canyon Tour) for all our backers to read that day.

Plus, we're going to jump up and down and scream and shout and generally have a party…for about 10 minutes. Then we hit the keyboards and the drawing pads and the phones, starting the pre-production phase of the film (see above). In other words, we start working like madmen.

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**So there it is. Should we do it? Is it actually possible? Are we missing something?**

**Most importantly: Would you contribute to this project?**

**Thanks, guys!**

**I'mgoingSolo14**

**PS: Perks/Rewards list coming soon! (Just have to finalize it…When I have time…Which is never…) Keep checking back!**


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